Thailand is officially entering its cold season on Saturday but the southern region is will remain battered by rain at least until Friday.

The Meteorological Department on Wednesday announced that Saturday will mark the official start of cold season, which will continue until mid-February. Temperatures will drop sharply in the second half of December and remain cool to the end of January, it added.

Rainfall will subside in most parts of the country through the coming weekend, with downpours expected in Prachuap Khirikhan and all southern provinces until Friday, the weather agency said.

Forecaster Prapaporn Wongsaming warned of heavy rain and possible flash floods in all six provinces on the Andaman coast -- Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun -- on Friday.

The Nam Phong National Park is prepared for a spike in tourism at Hin Chang Si or Elephant-Rubbing Rock in Khon Kaen as a result of the late October surge in colder weather.

The Nam Phong National Park Superintendent said today that a large number of visitors from Khon Kaen and neighboring provinces spend their holidays at the Hin Chang Si viewpoint, Ban Fang district, Khon Kaen, to admire the spectacular scenery and enjoy being near Ubonrat dam.

The Pha Muen viewpoint is also a popular tourist destination. Meanwhile, the Dtawun Lup Fah cliff has undergone landscaping for photographers and couples. A wood ladder has been attached to a stone bridge for tourists to reveal the large boulder and the view of Khon Kaen. Tourist numbers have been on the rise since the landscaping of Hin Chang Si six months ago. A tent area has been provided and can accommodate more than 100 visitors.

The first breath of winter is being felt in many provinces, with temperatures dropping and cool, breezy days in the northern half of the country, including Bangkok, and the weatherman forecasting a further fall of 1-3°C.

In the Northeast, the mercury fell to 19°C in Nakhon Phanom on Wednesday morning.

In the North, Doi Ang Khang, in the mountainous district of Fang in Chiang Mai, recorded 15°C.

The Meteorological Department said the capital will experience "windy" weather with a continual drop in temperatures of up to 2°C, and a further one-notch down in the North and Northeast.

"People should take care of their health due to the weather change," the statement said.

But the colder weather also means a happy time for traveling.

Nakhon Phanom governor Siam Sirimongkhon invited tourists to visit to his province under sunny skies and enjoy the scenic views along the Mekong River.

The Meteorological Department also said on Wednesday that tropical storm Yutu is moving westward from the Philippines and is expected to disperse in the upper South China Sea, and will not affect Thailand.

Mercury in Thailand’s north is set to drop another 3-5 degrees from tomorrow until Friday. Meanwhile southern regions are facing forecast rains and isolated heavy rain in some areas.

The Thai Meteorological Department says another strong cold front out of China is looming south to cover the upper regions of Thailand from October 30-November 2 . They forecast this will cause temperatures to drop between 3-5 degrees Celsius during this period.

Meanwhile, the north-eastern monsoon (the opposite to the southern south-westerly monsoon) which is looming over the Gulf and the southern region, will strengthen during this period and bring more rain to the region with isolated heavy rain in some areas.

The wind in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea is forecast to be moderate with waves in the Gulf up to two metres high and up to three metres high during storms.

“Sailors, fishermen and tour boats are advised to exercise caution when venturing out to sea.”

Despite the forecasts, Phuket, for example, is bathed in sunshine today with light cloud and easterly winds, although thunderstorms may develop during the afternoon.

Frozen dew formed again for the second day in a row atop Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai on Saturday morning when the lowest temperature was recorded at 1 degree Celsius.

Wasan Chanthep, assistant chief of Doi Thanon National Park, said grass and the lower branches of trees were covered with a thin layer of ice.

He said the temperature at the top of the mountain was recorded at 1C while the mercury at the Kiew Mae Pan viewpoint, where tourists flocked to enjoy a sea of mist, was 5C. The Doi Inthanon park office halfway up the mountain saw the lowest temperature of 10C.

Wasan said the weather was clear so tourist could see the sea of mist clearly from the cliff at the viewpoint and the first sunlight lit up the mist beautifully for early-bird tourists.

Wasan said 2,321 tourists visited the park on Friday and the number was expected to be much higher on Saturday.